


From Dragons to Ceremonies to All in Between

by Books_Forever



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Competition, I'm bad at tags honestly, Romance, and stories, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-01-01 04:51:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18328970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Books_Forever/pseuds/Books_Forever
Summary: Hiccup stared. Then stared some more. Astrid Hofferson, THE Astrid Hofferson, the fierce warrior and princess of her kingdom, was looking for a husband. He read the scroll one more time. Yep. That's what it said."We cordially invite the Haddock Clan to come and join us for our Coming of Age Ceremony at the Haddock Kingdom. Her royal highness, Princess Astrid Hofferson, has come of age, and as accordingly, choose a husband to marry. Your clan, in this period of time, will have the honor of fighting the princess in hopes of winning her hand in marriage and heart in the Ceremonial Marriage Competition.His Royal Highness,King Hofferson."Hiccup proceeded to stare at the scroll for the next thirty minutes.





	1. Prologue

_Two 12-year-olds were standing face to face on a battlefield. Villagers ran around fighting near them. Houses were getting destroyed and people were getting attacked as the dragons swooped down and fired. Those two stood off with serious expressions on their face, and a grim determination in their eyes, but for different reasons._

 

_"_ _Are you an idiot?! You could've gotten killed!" said a blond-haired girl. She wielded an ax and was moving it around very dangerously. She had scratches on her arm and looked disheveled, but was fine overall. She looked like she would kill someone right now._

 

_"Hey! I'm not stupid . . . I don't think they would've hurt me," the brown-haired boy said. He was carrying no weapon and seemed to be unscathed._

 

_"They're dragons! They don't care about humans! Of course they were going to kill you! You have a kingdom to take care of. What would they do without you?!" she shouted waving her hands around. She was furious and ready to hit her ax on something very quickly._

 

_The boy gave her a sheepish smile. "You can't be sure they would've killed me."_

 

_Her eyes turned cold and ruthless. Her face darkened like she was remembering a bad memory. "Dragons always, **always** go for the kill." She turned around and headed towards a dragon. "You'd best remember that before you or someone close to you gets killed." She walked away swinging her ax and charging towards a gronkle._

 

_The boy was left alone as he stared at her back. He admired her strength and bravery. But he didn't agree with her view of dragons. He couldn't blame her though. Not after what_ _happened. He shook his head and turned around._

 

_"Dragons always, **always**  go for the kill." she had said. _

 

_**So why hadn't he?** _


	2. Marriage What?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may suck at fanfiction. Who knows. I tried?

 

Hiccup stared. Then stared some more. Astrid Hofferson, THE Astrid Hofferson, the fierce warrior and princess of her kingdom, was looking for a husband. He read the scroll one more time. Yep. That's what it said.

 

"We cordially invite the Haddock Kingdom to come and join us for our Coming of Age Ceremony. Her royal highness, Princess Astrid Hofferson, will be preparing for womanhood and shall choose a husband accordingly in this period of time."

 

He had a chance of marrying her! Sure, she might not remember him and she was tough to crack, but he was pumped up. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was ready to do what it takes. He smiled and looked down at the scroll again. He was ready to try.

 

* * *

 

 

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third was no ordinary person. He was King of the Haddock Kingdom, dragon conquerer, and peacemaker between dragons and humans. He has stopped wars and had befriended dragons and made peace with them. 

 

From becoming the prince everyone pitied to a great king was something he was proud of. He sighed. He wished his dad could see him now. A couple of years ago, during the war with Drago Bloodvist, his dad had died at the arms of Drago, while protecting him and Toothless. He never forgot it and to this day, he still feels he's to blame. But he knows his dad would've wanted him to rule his kingdom greatly, so here he was.

 

He was ecstatic when he heard about the Ceremony. Astrid was someone who wouldn't let you in easily, but he was ready to do whatever it takes. He's been in love with her since he met her all those years ago, and he wasn't going to let this opportunity go.

 

He had the servants pack his thing, and invited a few nobles with him to go. Firstly, he invited his best friend Fishlegs Ingerman, the noble from the Ingerman Clan, and whose family was close to the throne. They hanged out al the time and used to geek out over all kinds of things. 

 

Next was the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnet Thorston, nobles from the Thorston Clan. These two used to play all types of pranks on him when he was younger, but they began to respect him more over the years, and they had become close. 

 

Last, but definitely (maybe) not least, came the Prince Snotlout Jorgenson, who was the kingdom next to his, the Jorgensen Clan. He has bullied Hiccup a lot when he was younger, but they became good friends after he made peace with the dragons. 

 

All of them were his friends, who he knew would support him when he left to the Hofferson Kingdom. (Well, except maybe for Snotlout, who would probably flirt with Astrid, but if she was anything like the Astrid he knew all those years ago, then she would definitely reject him.)

 

Along with the servants, and a few members of his court, he would leave the kingdom the next day. His mom, who was found safe living with her dragon during the war with Drago (he still couldn't get over it), was going to be in charge while he was gone.

 

As he went to bed that night, he couldn't help the giddy feeling he felt as he thought about seeing her. He tried not to think too much about what would happen if she rejected him, and he was hopeful. He thought about the things he could do and say when he got there, and eventually, he fell asleep. 

 

* * *

 

 

_A seven-year-old wooshed through the forest looking through the bushes and trees, messing up his expensive clothes. A girl spied him from the grove of trees, wondering what he was doing. She wanted to join him, but she didn't know him and her mom said that bad people could come after her. She didn't want that._

 

_The boy finally noticed her and smiled in her direction. He came running up to her and held out his hand._

 

_"Hey, how are you?"_

 

_She shyly smiled and took his hand. "Good, what were you doing?"_

 

_"I'm looking for trolls!" He gave her a grin, and she could see he was missing a tooth. He had a weird accent too, but she liked it. She decided she liked him._

 

_The boy opened his mouth again. "Wanna join?"_

 

_She smiled and bounced happily. "Sure."_

 

_Realizing they were still holding hands, she quickly let go. "What's your name?" she asked._

 

_"Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third." Her nose scrunched up at the weird name but she made no comment._

 

_"Astrid. My name's Astrid Hofferson."_

 

_Hiccup smiled up at her again and quickly took her to a grove of trees to the side to look for trolls again. As she played with him through the forest, she knew she made a life-long friend. She smiled at the thought._

 


	3. Dragons & Girls

 

By next morning, everything was packed up and ready to go. They went out in carriages one by one with guards to reach the kingdom. While Hiccup knows dragons would be faster, the Hofferson Kingdom only recently accepted dragons, and he didn't want to scare them. He sent the dragons out ahead of them, and they would meet them at the kingdom. 

 

The nobles and servants were all currently in different carriages, but Hiccup had made sure all his friends were in the same carriage with him. Though, as he watched the smirk on some of their faces, he began to regret it.

 

Snotlout opened his mouth and said, "So . . . Astrid huh?" Hiccup quickly glared at Snotlout. Snotlout was currently wearing his royal clothes and was prepared for Hiccup to be rejected upon reaching there. He had voiced his thoughts multiple times in that manner. ("You want to try to get Astrid Hofferson! Are you crazy?! You'd have more luck trying to beat Drago!" "We already did that, Snotlout." "Uhh, no. He's still alive somewhere. He could come at any moment and attack. And that's another thing. You should have killed him when you had the chance!")

 

Fishlegs started to defend him. "Well, you can't exactly blame him, Hiccup. You've rejected every single girl ever since you became chief 5 years ago. And then you accept an invitation to have a try at marrying Princess Astrid."

 

"I hear Princess Astrid is a dangerous but beautiful girl. Talk has it that the last guy who tried anything on her got a broken arm," Tuffnut added while petting his pet, Chicken. Hiccup could never understand how he got attached to him, but Tuffnut kept him, even after discovering about his double life.

 

"Well, maybe Hiccup wants to break some arms. Or try to fight her. That would be awesome," Ruffnut said. She was smiling mischievously and wore a ballgown. She hated them, but even she knew better than to come wearing pants to another kingdom as she was about to meet the royal family. Though Hiccup would bet his money she was wearing pants underneath the gown.

 

"Guys, I don't want to fight her. I'm coming for her ceremony. I don't have to be coming to try to get married to her and I'm not. So, drop it," Hiccup said as he glared at all of them. They all gave him an unimpressed look.

 

"Yeah right," Snotlout muttered.

 

"Alright . . ." Fishlegs said. Hiccup was sure though that Fishlegs would bring it up later.

 

"Of course, your highness," Ruffnut added in a teasing tone. She then went over and whispered over to Tuffnut, "The poor boy's in denial. How sad."

 

Tuffnut answered with a whisper, "The poor boy. Luckily, he has us."

 

He then proceeded to hug Hiccup and pat his head like a baby while repeating over and over, "It's alright, Hiccup. We understand." Hiccup frowned from his position and was ready to retort when he heard a crash outside along with some shouts. He quickly pushed himself off Tuffnut and looked out the window. Up in the sky, flying about, was a Monstrous Nightmare. 

 

 _Oh, great. Just what I needed,_  Hiccup thought. He stepped outside quickly and surveyed the scene. Luckily, only the trees were damaged, but it wouldn't stay like that for long. A soldier approached him.

 

"The dragon came out of nowhere sir and tried to attack us. We aren't sure what to do. Should we engage in battle?" the soldier asked. Hiccup looked up the dragon again and realized it was a female. Females are very protective of their eggs. Hiccup thought a little. 

 

"No, no. Wait here for further orders," Hiccup said and walked back to the carriage. All of them had been looking at the Nightmare and when they saw him approaching, they quickly quieted down and waited for him to talk. 

 

Hiccup grinned and asked, "Think you guys can help me create a distraction?" The rest looked at each other and then back at him, grinning. Hiccup beckoned them in and told them his plan. The rest nodded along as they listened.

 

* * *

 

 

Hiccup ran through the forest. He could see the rest of the gang following his lead. The Nightmare was right behind him, closing in on him quickly. Hiccup quickly ducked and slid under a fallen tree and then ran till he saw Tuffnut. Tuffnut grinned and high-fived him then quickly ran in front of the dragon and had it follow him. Hiccup took a moment to breathe and wondered how long this was going to last. The plan was to distract the dragon long enough that the carriages and people could get far enough from the dragon. The female was trying to protect her eggs, which he had found while he was running away from the dragon, so if they left, it should leave them alone. 

 

He heard a shout and quickly turned. Fishlegs was under the Monstrous Nightmare holding his hand out to try to stop the dragon from coming closer. 

 

Hiccup sighed and quickly ran to them.  _Time for Plan B,_  he thought. Hiccup quickly approached the dragon. The Nightmare turned to him quickly sensing him. Hiccup held his hand out and took slow steps as he approached the dragon. The dragon tilted her head and looked a bit confused.

 

"That's it. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or your babies. We just wanna leave. We're not going to bother you anymore," Hiccup said slowly as he approached the Nightmare. The Nightmare calmed down and Hiccup was finally able to reach out and touch her. She closed her eyes and breathed out and he calmed her down. It seemed to Hiccup that they could leave now. 

 

But of course, things had to get ruined. "Woohoo! Go Hiccup!" shouted Tuffnut, quickly scaring the Monstrous Nightmare and causing her to fire a shot near Tuffnut. She quickly got angrier and set herself on fire. Just as a fire she shot was about to hit Tuffnut, Hiccup quickly pulled him and started running towards where the carriages had gone. The Nightmare kept firing shots, but as they got farther away, it calmed down and left. Eventually, they found the carriages near a river, with the guards outside waiting for Hiccup, it seemed. When they saw Hiccup, he smiled sheepishly and waved. The camp near the river cheered. The guards and nobles kept thanking him while he just smiled and nodded.

 

The gang and he went inside their carriage and finally sat down.

 

Tuffnut grinned and said, "And that is why you're our leader." Ruffnut and the others agreed while Hiccup rolled his eyes.  _Seems things are back to normal for now,_  Hiccup thought.

 

Soon enough, the carriages started moving, and everyone settled down. Just as Hiccup thought about taking a nap to rest for a bit, Snoutlout smirked. 

 

"So, back to her _highness_ . . ." Snotlout said as he wiggled his eyebrows at Hiccup.

 

Hiccup glared. And then promptly decided to step on his foot.

 

"Ow!"

 

Hiccup grinned.  _Worth it._

 

* * *

 

 

_Two 10-year-olds were sitting by a river, with their feet in the water, relaxing. The girl had been quiet for a while, then finally, turned to him._

 

_"Do you want to get married?"_

 

_The boy sputtered and turned to her. "What?!"_

 

_The girl looked annoyed and repeated, "Do you want to get married?"_

 

_The boy's cheeks turned pink and he looked embarrassed. "Well . . . yes. But only to someone I'm in love with."_

 

_The girl sighed and looked up at the sky. "Mother says I'll have to marry someone from another kingdom. She says it doesn't matter if I love him or not, it's my duty so I have to do it."_

 

_The boy looked at her sadly as she frowned at the sky. he then quickly stood up and smiled. The girl turned to him curiously. "Don't worry Princess. You won't marry someone you don't love. Not with me around. I, as your trusty sidekick, shall protect you from all suitors and trolls." He mimicked raising a sword and fighting in the air with it._

 

_The girl giggled and smiled at him warmly, "Thanks. If you had the chance to marry anyone in this world, who would it be?"_

 

_The boy looked at her thoughtfully. He gulped. He answered honestly, "You."_

 

_The girl quickly blushed and then looked down as she punched his arm. Hard._

 

_"Ow! Astrid! What's with you and violence?" The boy replied._

 

_She whispered softly, "Don't lie, Hiccup." The ran away back to the castle. The boy just watched her leave with a smile on his face._

 


	4. Breaking the News (And Maybe Someone's Arm Too)

 

Astrid had spent her whole life following rules. Ever since she was small, she was taught to bow, to be polite, to smile. She had followed every rule and did everything her parents told her. Granted, she did learn how to fight and use a sword, which is very unprincess-like, but her parents had approved. As her father always says, "A Hofferson is always strong and never yields." 

 

Along with all her other classes, she had taken lessons to learn how to use all kinds of weapons, the ax being her favorite. Her favorite ax, which was a gift, was always by her side and she never left home without it. Despite having so many lessons, Astrid excelled in all of them and was admired by all the girls in the kingdom. 

 

So when Astrid's father comes to her one morning, a week before her birthday, about her coming of age ceremony, she's ready to listen. She's prepared for the worst and ready to do whatever it takes. 

 

Her father enters the library, where Astrid had been all afternoon, studying up on the economy and trade routes of the kingdom. Trade has been waning these days, and she's hoping some new trade routes could help the kingdom. Her father comes up to the table she's sitting at and takes a seat. She sees her mother also enter and take a seat next to her father. As she watches the serious looks on both their faces, she realizes that whatever is happening is something she is not going to like.

 

Her father clears his throat and says, "Astrid, as you know, your coming of age ceremony is in a week. And, in that ceremony, you will be crowned Queen. This is a great honor to be bestowed upon by your ancestor, and I know you won't disappoint me. I am sure you will be a capable and amazing Queen fo the country."

 

Astrid flits her eyes from one to the other as they talk, and she finally says, "Dad, get to the point." Her father stares at her for a minute in surprise but then smiles.

 

"You know me so well, dear. As Queen, you will need a king to rule by your side. So, we have decided that you will choose a husband at the ceremony." He hands her an envelope, and he looks at her mother nervously. 

 

The moment she heard about a husband, her nerves rose.  _Could she not be an independent woman? Why did she need a man?!_  She read the letter inside and read about the competition. When she finally finished reading, she turned towards her parents who were staring at her. 

 

She slammed the letter on the table and stood up. The chair scraped on the floor and fell behind her. "I'm sorry father, but I am not going along with this." Her cold steely tone rang through the library, and her mother winced at her. "I do not want a man to rule me. I will be a strong leader  _on my own_."

 

Her father stood up also and gave her a serious look. "Astrid, I know you can rule on your own. But, I have no choice. The council is pushing me to get you engaged in an arranged marriage. This was the best I could do. And who says the man has to rule over you? You could be equals."

 

By this point, she was filled with rage, because in their society, a woman could  _never_  be equal. And she didn't even technically get to choose him! She ran out of the library and went out to the royal garden. She went through the trees to her special favorite place, where she liked to practice targets with her ax and where she used to meet with . . . Well, that doesn't matter anymore. The place was an empty field in the forest, and near it, a stream. You could see cuts on some of the trees from the times Astrid practiced here.

 

She started throwing her ax and the trees practicing her aim and letting all her rage go. She hit it again and again, imagining her future husband as that tree. She was ready to break some bones. She kept throwing her ax over and over again, letting out all her rage. 2 hours later, she had finally burned herself out. 

 

She sat against a tree and rested for a moment. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and sighed. She knew she couldn't do anything. It was a direct order from the King and council. And she would bet they had already sent out all the letters to other kingdoms to join. Well, she mused, at least she could fight her way through the husbands. Then, an idea struck her.

 

She quickly got up and grinned. She went back to the castle and took a shower, as she was sweating a lot from the workout. When she was finally dressed and ready, she headed towards her father's office. She stepped in front of the door and knocked, then entered. Her father looked up from his documents in surprise when he saw her. 

 

Astrid cleared her throat, then spoke. "Father, I have a proposition for you."

 

Her father stared at her. ". . . I'm listening."

 

Astrid continued. "My husband has to beat me in a battle to marry me, correct? Well, if no one beats me, I would like to not marry at all, and rule on my own." She raised her chin as she looked at him with a set face.

 

Her father grinned. "I accept your proposition. And that is quite a smart idea, dear." Astrid blinked. She hadn't expected it to be that easy. She smiled at him and raised her hand. He shook it. She then bowed and left the room. As she walked back to her room, she smiled, excited. No one had ever beat her in a battle with her ax, so she was quite confident that she wouldn't lose. 

 

But . . . There was only one person who was equal to her. Her eyes darkened at the thought. She hurriedly gathered her thoughts, as Astrid was sure he wouldn't be there. 

 

She was now more excited than ever for the ceremony. She would finally prove to everyone that she can rule on her own and that she doesn't need a man.

 

* * *

 

 

_A boy walked through the trees, clumsily going through the bushes, till he reached a field of grass. He went to the other side where a stream was located and found who he was looking for._

 

_"Astrid! Happy 8th birthday!" the boy said excitedly. The girl looked up from where she was practicing with her sword and saw the boy holding a package._

 

_"Hey Hiccup! What do you have there?" she replied easily, putting the sword down and heading towards Hiccup._

 

_"A birthday present! Gobber has been teaching me how to make weapons in the forge and helped me make this! I hope you like it!" he said giving her a toothy grin. She took the package from him and ripped the wrapper away from it._

 

_In front of her, she saw a gleaming new ax that looked of amazing quality and was one of the best craftsmanship she's ever seen. "You made this?"_

 

_Hiccup smiled sheepishly and replied, "Well, it took a few tries. But I finally did it! Do you . . . like it?"_

 

_Astrid turned to him and punched his arm. "I love it! Thank you so much!"_

 

_Hiccup rubbed his sore arm, laughing. "Your welcome."_

 

_The rest of the afternoon was spent with Hiccup and Astrid both playing with the ax and having fun. After, they both tried to make a cake for her birthday, but both learned that day to never let Astrid in the kitchen._

 

_And from that day on, the ax was Astrid's favorite weapon. She never let it out of her sight._

 


	5. Who Could It Be?

 

With the agreement Astrid and her father had made, the castle immediately sent to work. Letters were sent to places everywhere around the kingdom and to other kingdoms as well, and Astrid made sure to train every day to prepare. The event would take place one day after her Coming of Age Ceremony, which barely left any room for rest. When she wasn't doing lessons, eating or sleeping, she was training. She was determined to not get married at all. 

 

Two days before her birthday, she was practicing in a clearing in the forest near the castle. This clearing was special, and she had spent a lot of her time here since she was little. It held so many memories to Astrid. She wondered what happened to . . . She shook her head. It doesn't matter.

 

She threw her ax into the target, over and over again, always hitting the bullseye. She's done this so many times that she could probably throw the ax with her eyes closed. About an hour in, she stopped to take a break. She went to the river near the clearing and rinsed her face, then took a seat. She could remember the days when she was a child playing out here. A small smile landed on her face. Those were the best days. She sighed then stood up.

 

Later that evening, Astrid was going up to her room when she heard some voices. 

 

"He has accepted the invitation!" 

 

"Really?! Rumors say that he never leaves his castle."

 

"Yes, he will arrive on the day of the event! It is not surprising though to think of it. Astrid is a lovely young woman, and of course, every man in this world would want the chance to be with her."

 

As Astrid stepped closer and closer to the room, she recognized the voices as her father and one of his advisors. She wondered who this man could be for her father to be excited or surprised. It must be someone of high regard and good reputation. She briefly wondered if this man might be strong enough to beat her. Astrid shook her head. She needed to stay strong. She wasn't going to get married anytime soon, that's for sure. She quickly left before her father or anyone else found her eavesdropping and went to her room. 

 

When Astrid arrived in her room, she went and laid down on the bed. She felt exhausted mentally and physically from the preparations. But, if this meant no husband, she would gladly go through it. Astrid finally took a deep breath and sighed. 

 

 _I smell._ She wrinkled her nose. She finally stood up from her bed and headed to her bathroom. Right now, she wanted to have a long, relaxing bath to take her thoughts off everything. 

 

* * *

 

 

_Astrid quickly ran towards the clearing, gripping her ax in her hand._

 

_"Hiccup! Hiccup!" She finally spotted the boy sitting down next to a tree, sketching. The boy looked up from his notebook to see Astrid standing in her armor with a fire in her eyes._

 

_"Yes?" he asked, a little afraid of what she wanted._

 

_"Let's fight." The tone in her voice was clear. No arguments whatsoever. He groaned._

 

_"Didn't we already do this enough times this week? You're a fighter, Astrid. I'm not. Go practice with someone more skilled than me."_

 

_"Well then, why do you use dirty tricks to beat me?" she groaned raising her hands up._

 

_Hiccup put his face in his hands, sighed, then stood up._

 

_"Alright," he called out. Astrid perked up._

 

_He picked up the sword lying on the ground some feet away and stood in front of Astrid._

 

_Something that would have surprised anyone in the kingdom was, despite her strength, Princess Astrid lost all her battles with Hiccup. Every battle, no matter how hard she fought, she could never beat him. And it was never due to his skill. Thor knows Hiccup was no fighter. No, Hiccup knew her only weakness. A weakness he has learned from knowing her so well. And he used that weakness to beat her every battle. And though Astrid acted mad over it every single time, she actually didn't mind._

_After all, who better than him to know the way to beat her?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well . . . I have an idea of what it is. I thought I might give this style of writing a try after reading a short story using it. I don't think I used it correctly but *shrug*.


	6. Will She Remember?

 

The long ride in the carriage was tiring for Hiccup, especially with the entire gang teasing him about the marriage. He was beginning to regret bringing them along, to be honest. 

 

After a while, he decided that ignoring them would be the best course of action, and just stared out the window while the gang talked about Hiccup's surprising change of heart. He had rejected many marriage proposals from all ladies of his land and other lands, so to suddenly wish to participate in a contest for Astrid's marriage was shocking to them.

 

Fishlegs, who was sitting next to him currently, turned to Hiccup. "But Hiccup, what caused you to want to marry the princess? You've never even met her, correct?"

 

Snotlout turned to Fishlegs and answered, "It's obvious Fishlegs! They say she's the most beautiful princess in all the lands! What's more to know? If I had it my way, I would've joined the contest, but she would have beaten me to- I mean, I couldn't steal her away from my poor cousin Hiccup, though I highly doubt he could beat her. "

 

"Thanks," Hiccup muttered dryly.

 

"Your welcome, dear cousin," he replied back.

 

"Well, I think it has to do with the fact that we don't have an alliance with the Hoffersons. This could be a good way to create a contract with them!" Fishlegs stated.

 

Tuffnut turned to him frowning, "You're all wrong! This must be for love! There is no power greater than love! I predict that Hiccup saw her in a stormy night, wandering around in the forest. He must have been captured by her beauty and-"

 

"- Don't be stupid, dear brother. They must've met in a ball, I say. A ball!" Ruffnut interrupted. 

 

"But he  _never_ goes to any balls!"

 

"Why is this such a big deal anyway? Weren't you the ones complaining I should find a girl the last time I denied a request to a ball?" Hiccup asked. 

 

"Precisely! You deny all the requests usually, but this time, you actually agreed! Wait, what if this is a trick?!" Tuffnut gasped and pointed at him. "Who are you and what have you done with Hiccup?"

 

"Don't be an idiot, obviously someone gave him a love potion making him fall in love with the princess and follow her! We should find the antidote immediately!" Ruffnut exclaimed.

 

"You are mistaken, my dear sister. Clearly, this is the work of a scam artist! We must find the real Hiccup immediately! You will not - OW!" Tuffnut shouted, trying to stand up in the carriage but hitting his head on the roof. Snotlout snorted and looked away, while Fishlegs shook his head. Hiccup just sighed and looked out the window. The twins were up to their antics again it seems, but Hiccup had gotten used to it. 

 

Suddenly, he hears some voices from outside the carriage and the ride lurches to a stop. Tuffnut ends up falling down and slamming Ruffnut, who was laughing at his expense.

 

"Hahaha - HEY! What do you think you're doing?" Ruffnut angrily shouted. Hiccup shushed them and poked his head out the window. 

 

He turned to the first guard he saw and asked, "What's going on?" The guard turned to him and saluted, recognizing the presence of the King.

 

"Sir, we are at the gates of the kingdom. The guards have stopped us to inspect the ride, but we will be on our way into the kingdom shortly," he stated. Hiccup nodded at him and sat back down, suddenly nervous. 

 

"Well, well, looks like we arrived," smirked Snotlout. Hiccup shot him a half-hearted glare. The twins started fighting again, and Hiccup zoned them out. Fishlegs turned to him.

 

"Have you even ever met the princess Hiccup? I don't recall having the royal family ever visit us," Fishlegs said, looking worried. Everyone suddenly quieted down and looked at Hiccup.

 

He smiled and reassured, "Don't worry. I ... have met her at least once before." That was when the gates could be heard creaking open, and the carriage finally entered into the kingdom. 

 

* * *

 

 

_The crunching of leaves could be heard as footsteps made their way into the forest, running at an almost frantic pace. The forest opened up to a clearing, and the footsteps hurried towards the girl sharpening her ax in the corner._

 

_"Astrid! Astrid! There you are!" Hiccup came running up to her and hugged her quickly, making her drop what she was holding. Astrid looked at him worriedly._

 

_"What's wrong? Are you okay? Did something happen?" she asked worriedly. Hiccup slowly let go of her and looked at her with those wide, green eyes of his. The pain and tension coming from Hiccup were so obvious._

 

_Finally, Hiccup took a deep breath and opened his mouth._

 

_"I'm leaving."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so short chapter, but hey, something is better than nothing, right? All my respect goes to those who are able to update often and regularly, cause that is the complete opposite of me. I'll try to update more often, but I'm horrible at that and life gets in the way a lot. *sigh*
> 
> On a side note, How to Train Your Dragon 3 was awesome!!!! Best movie I've watched in a long time. I recommend it to everyone. Internally screams at everything that happened in the movie. (I cried the entire time and my friend kept laughing at me - but hey, that was neither here nor there.)


	7. The First Impression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooooo . . . I actually updated! I'm trying my best to keep them in character but sometimes things mess up in my head, so I apologize if they're a little OOC.
> 
> But I am proud of this! It's a longer chapter! I don't usually write chapters that long (otherwise the updates would never happen) but this was fun honestly. I wrote most of it in one sitting so that was nice.
> 
> On a side note, I totally procrastinated working on science for this. I don't feel guilty one bit.
> 
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated though!

 

The news around the castle was buzzing around the castle. (Astrid could hear the maids chattering as she walked through the castle. Seriously, didn’t they have anything better to do?)

 

“The King of Dragons has finally arrived with his crew!”

 

The entire castle was abuzz with the news. Astrid, though, was less than happy. Hearing about the news from every direction was definitely not what she had in mind today, and her parents wouldn’t shut up about the great honor this had been. It did seem like this man was of great power and reputation though.

 

Astrid hesitated for a second. Could she really win against all these men, especially the King of Dragons?! She shook her head quickly. Thinking like that wouldn't help her at all. She needed to be confident that she could do it! Astrid squared her shoulders and straightened her back, ready to show all the suitors out there that she wouldn't back down without a fight.

 

Unfortunately, that didn’t lessen or stop the maid’s gossip (“He’s so handsome!” “Oh, I can’t wait to see him soon . . .” “I heard they brang _actual dragons_!”). Astrid tried her best to ignore them. Last she heard, he was going to take the time to rest from the trip in his room, not appearing till tomorrow. Not that it bothered Astrid, as it gave her one more day to be able to walk around the castle wearing whatever she wanted and doing whatever she chose.

 

As it was one day till the competition, Astrid gave herself this free day to relax and gather energy. The looks on her maids' faces when she said that though were shocked, seeming to find the idea of Astrid Hofferson _resting ridiculous_.

 

Astrid huffed as she paced to the garden. She could rest! Just because she worked all the time doesn't mean she didn't take breaks! And she definitely knew how to have fun! (And here Astrid was, arguing with herself in her own mind. She needed better things to do than listen to old maids.)

 

She slowed down after a turn, sighing. Astrid wished Heather was here. She was her only friend, having bonded with her when King Dagger came over to her kingdom for an alliance. Astrid preferred her company to her brother's, who was to mildly put it, completely and absolutely deranged in the head. Princess Heather was one of the only people she had got close to, both girls bonding over their love for fighting and had often sparred in the arena. Alas, she had her own kingdom to take care of, limiting how much she got to see her friend. She was excited to hear the girl was coming to her ceremony (but greatly less excited to hear that Heather’s brother was coming as well to participate in the competition).

 

Astrid finally arrived at the royal garden, taking a deep breath and enjoying the smell of flowers in the air. She had always loved the royal garden (which was really more like a forest that spanned many miles around the castle), spending most of childhood in them, training or playing. It was always her favorite place to calm down and helped her when her emotions got the best of her.

 

Today, she decided walking around the edge of the forest next to the castle would be best and started on her path. As she walked, she enjoyed the luscious greens of the garden and soft sounds of nature. She stretched her arms up, enjoying one of her rare, relaxing days without lessons (as they were canceled due to the competition occurring _tomorrow -_ Astrid couldn't believe how fast the time has passed!).

 

10 minutes later, she found herself at the back of the castle, looking at her mother's private garden of orchids, enjoying the soft silence. Just as she took a few more steps, she heard light mumbling around the corner of the castle. Someone was in the garden with her! Astrid's lips formed a thin line, and she wondered if this was a trespasser or thief attempting to come into the castle. She unhooked her ax, which was attached on the belt of her dress (because heaven forbid Astrid _ever_ walked around without it), and silently sneaked towards the corner, resting her back on the cool, stone wall.

 

“Oh, my! They have Orchidaceaes here! Such a lovely color as well!” The voice resonated clearer now, and Astrid had less doubt that this was a criminal of any sorts. Just to be sure, she turned her and peaked out.

 

A short, large man stood there with a book open, admiring the flowers of the garden. He seemed to be looking at the different species. He wore noble clothing, betraying his higher class.

 

For all her studying, Astrid could not for the life of her recognize the man. Who was he? She stepped out, making her presence known. The man whipped around, on guard immediately, and looked at her suspiciously for a second. Astrid stepped forward one more time, and the man’s eyes lighted up with panic, flickering between her face and her ax.

 

“I’m warning you, I have a dragon and I know how to use it!” he retorted quickly, backing up.

 

Astrid’s brow furrowed instantly. A dragon? Could he be part of the crew of the King of Dragons? She fell even more confused. This man didn’t look threatening at all though. Astrid had assumed the King was a selfish, cocky man who surrounded himself with greedy and powerful men. She quickly schooled her expression, preparing to ask him.

 

“I should be the one threatening you, seeing as your in my family’s castle. Let me introduce myself. I am Princess Astrid Hofferson, and I would certainly like to know why you’re hanging around my mother’s garden,” Astrid retorted coldly, gripping her ax.

 

The man somehow became even more panicked, and quickly looked around, sweating and becoming more suspicious in her eyes. She took a few steps closer, raised her ax to his neck, and raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

 

He leaned back retorting quickly, “I’m so sorry your highness! I’m part of King Hiccup’s council, and I was just looking at the very beautiful garden you guys have here. I-I really mean no harm, I’m no menace at all!”

 

Astrid became less guarded but kept her ax near his neck anyway. “And what is your name?”

 

“Fishlegs, your highness!” He had his hands raised up in defeat and Astrid finally deemed him as not a threat. There’s no way he would dare lie to her, but on the off chance he did decide to lie to a warrior princess was a good idea, she could easily take care of him herself. Astrid lowered her ax, keeping it in her hand, in case she did need to use it.

 

“Does anyone know you’re here?” Astrid asked, wondering why she hadn’t heard of this in the first place.

 

“O-only his highness the King, your highness. But King Hofferson had allowed us free reign of the castle during his visit, so the King deemed it unnecessary to inform anyone,” Fishlegs (now that Astrid thought about it, what kind of name was Fishlegs anyways?) said, still looking scared and wary of Astrid herself.

 

Astrid huffed and brushed her bangs out of her face. This King shouldn’t be going around deciding that himself and Astrid felt contempt build up in her against the King of Dragons even more. “You said you’re part of his council, correct? I thought the King was taking a break today and would be staying in his quarters.”

 

Fishlegs seemed to be inching away bit by bit, and Astrid finally decided to take pity on him. She softened her face and stopped glaring, and put her ax back into her dress’s belt.

 

“Well - you see - he wanted a rest, yes - but um - he, I mean me! - I had needed some air so Hicc- I mean his highness allowed me to, um, explore the area.”

 

Astrid raised an eyebrow at his stuttering but said no more. She nodded at him and was about to say her polite goodbyes when another person hollered, “Hey Fishlegs!” Astrid looked behind Fishlegs to find a girl and a boy, twins it appears, heading here. And she was quite shocked to find them both running without care about etiquette (but really, who was Astrid to judge them? She had fought many people on the account of being a warrior - even though it had been deemed improper for a princess as such).

 

Fishlegs turned to see who it was and instantly relaxed. Astrid pursed her lips. It seems this was another part of the King’s crew as well. Who did he surround himself with honestly?!

 

“Hey Ruff, Tuff,” Fishlegs waved at the two, much calmer than he was a few minutes ago. The two twins turned to her, eyeing her up and down, their stare unnerving. They quickly turned back to Fishlegs, with similarly confused glances.

 

The boy, who she assumed was Tuff, pointed his thumb at her and asked, “Who’s the new girl?” Astrid glared hard. She didn’t care who these people worked for, she wasn’t going to allow anyone to disrespect her! Before she could take out her ax and pulverize the man in front of her, Fishlegs came between them.

 

“Ruffnut, this is the Princess Astrid Hofferson. You know, the one they’re holding a ceremony about. The one the King _told_ us about?” Fishlegs replied hurriedly, trying to defuse the situation.

 

What Astrid didn’t know were the many countless warnings the twins had received from creating any terror or mischief in the castle, on the account of ruining HIccup’s chances with Astrid herself. The twins, to their credit, had agreed, and Fishlegs was going to make sure that they kept that promise.

 

Despite what Fishlegs had said, the twins, if possible, looked even more mischievous and troubling, leading Fishlegs to believe that they may not keep their promise.

 

Astrid turned to them, raising an eyebrow, and waited for an apology to come. It didn’t. The twins just stared, smirking at her. Astrid wasn’t sure what to think. She kept an icy glare but didn’t further the conversation. Finally, Tuffnut stepped forward and brought his hand up.

 

“I, for now, approve. You look like someone who could pack a punch, which is always useful to have,” Tuffnut remarked, causing Fishlegs to facepalm and hope the princess wasn’t going to exile them (it wouldn’t be the first time).

 

Astrid brought her hand up to shake it with his back, deciding to humor them for now since they didn’t seem like trouble. Just as she let go, the sister stepped forward, Ruffnut, and brought a fist up.

 

“Of course, dear brother. Punches are always useful, especially . . . now!” and she punched her brother right in the face, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. Ruffnut started laughing at his demise, and Astrid had her mouth open in shock from the behavior.

 

Fishlegs turned to her, wringing his hands. “I apologize Princess. Please excuse them, they’re always like this,” he said nervously. Astrid quickly closed her mouth and composed herself.

 

She nodded and replied, “I think it’s best if I leave now. Enjoy your rest with your . . . comrades.” He nodded at her and she turned, ready to leave when she heard another voice cry out.

 

“Ruff! Tuff!” What’d I say about creating mischief around the castle! We’re guests! Don’t get us exiled again because of your stupid pranks!” a deep voice shouted, stomping over to their direction.

 

Just as she turned to see the owner of the voice, she heard the twin’s replies.

 

“We didn’t do anything! I am appalled you would excuse us of any trouble!”

 

“Yes, why I feel so betrayed! Our dear friend, against us! How could you?!”

 

Feeling slightly amused at their replies, she zeroed in her eyes on who was speaking, and her eyes widened. She froze, slack-jawed, staring at the last person she expected to ever see again.

 

There stood in front of her a man about her age, which deep brown locks and evergreen eyes. The same eyes she always looked into as a child. He was wearing some type of suit, and had a sword at his back (Him? Fighting? She almost snorted out loud at the thought). He looked healthy and alive, despite everything, and her eyes couldn’t leave him (it didn’t help that time had made him easy on the eyes).

 

She watched him walk up to the twins, scolding them with a frown on his face. Fishlegs must have said something because he stopped mid-speech, and the next moment, he was staring at her, mouth open and eyes widened. He seemed just as surprised to see her here as she did to see him (But he had known he was at her castle. Why didn’t he say anything?).

 

He stood and straightened his back, recognition in his eyes. She couldn’t believe it.

 

It was Hiccup.

 

Tears gathered in her eyes and swooped down across her cheeks quickly and strongly, but she stayed silent, not making a sound.

 

_It was Hiccup._

 

* * *

 

 

_“. . . When are you leaving?”_

 

_“Tomorrow . . .”_

 

_“Why such short notice?!”_

 

_“Mom says we need to go meet Dad as soon as possible.”_

 

_“But you said you’ve never met him before, right?!”_

 

_“Yeah . . .”_

 

_“IDIOT!”_

 

_“Astrid? Astrid! ASTRID?! Come back, please wait! Don’t leave, I’m coming!”_

 

_“LEAVE ME ALONE!”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MUAHAHAHAHA - oh um yes, hello!
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy your week!


	8. What Happened to Us?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back from the dead! 
> 
> Unfortunately, I have bad news. I'm traveling this summer and won't have wifi a lot so I won't be able to update any stories and will be on kinda-hiatus during these 3 months. Of course, I'll be back up and running in October! I will try to update at least once during these 3 months but my family's dragging me around everywhere so I can't be sure of my schedule. (One would think I would have more free time now that it's summer -_-)
> 
> It's not that long, but I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> \- On a side note, I had to go back and do some editing on some flashbacks in the story. I've changed the backstory a bit (in my outline for the story) and I realized that one of the things Astrid says won't fit with that. I also just realized how confusing the backstory can be, and since the story isn't really gonna explain it, I might end up doing an extra chapter explaining their backstory and lives. It will most likely tie together all the flashbacks and hopefully make sense (with no plot holes).

 

“Hiccup?”

 

For one depressing, heart-stopping moment, Astrid thought she was hallucinating. She thought that she had finally lost her mind and this was nothing more than a figment of her imagination. She was quickly filled with hope though when he turned towards the other men near her and asked them for some privacy. She stayed silent though, choosing to brood and wipe her tears rather than face him.

 

When they were finally left alone, Hiccup turned to her biting his lip and running a hand through his hair (she hated how that still made her heart skip a beat). He finally sighed and turned to her, giving her a small smile.

 

“Astrid?”

 

She refused to give him the satisfaction of her looking at him so she stubbornly kept her eyes to the ground, not wanting to face him yet.

 

She heard the mutterings of the servants near him and realized they must work for him. Astrid tried to take her mind away and channeled her anger instead, trying to push away the sadness _(Hoffersons don’t cry)._

 

She heard him say to the others, “Can you give us some privacy?”

He denies the retorts of “But Hiccup?!” and “Why?!” and tells them to leave them alone. Astrid isn’t sure whether to be comforted or more worried by the privacy given. She still keeps her gaze firmly on the ground.

 

Oh look, what a wonderful ladybug there is flying on the grass there. And it’s black with red spots, huh, not something you see every day. She wonders where -

 

“Astrid.”

 

She hates how her heart beats even faster and she feels her palms becoming sweaty _(Hoffersons don’t get nervous)_. Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid watches his hand clench and she realizes he must feel horrible too.

 

While she’d just rather run away and never face the world again _(Hoffersons don’t hide)_ , she can’t do that to Hiccup. She silently raises her head and meets his eyes.

 

He’s certainly grown up over the years and become handsome. Hiccup’s no longer that awkward, lanky boy. He’s filled out more with more muscles and a more refined face. Despite the changes though, Astrid still can see the similarities from when they were kids that had made Hiccup . . . well, Hiccup.

 

His sea-green eyes faced her, still filled with the warmth they had whenever he was talking to her. They were a familiar comfort after all these years. And then there was his brown, unruly hair that still looked soft even after all these years. Lastly, there was his smile, not the polite one he gave to strangers, but his warm one that was saved for friends and family.

 

She wondered what had happened to him over the years. Where was his mom? When did he become a king? Why was he here? Why did he come only after all these years?

 

Astrid sighed. _What happened to us?_

 

_(And Hoffersons especially don’t fall in love with someone unattainable.)_

 

* * *

 

Hiccup didn’t have a plan.

 

Then again, in most of the dangerous situations he somehow gets himself in, he never is. All semblances of a plan to getting to marry Astrid (AKA the love of his life since he was a child) was ruined the moment he met her unexpectedly here in the garden.

 

He looked at the careful mask of expression on her face and frowned. _She’s gotten better at hiding her emotions._

 

He wondered what she was thinking, if she was happy to see him. He definitely was. She had gotten more beautiful over the years and more regal. As he watched her demeanor, he also knew she had gotten much more dangerous as well (he winced as he thought of the form of ‘communication’ he’d be getting if he kept talking to her).

 

Hiccup smiled when she finally looked him in the eyes and it seemed liked she was frozen, staring at him with her mind racing. Hiccup knew he had to say something, anything and opened his mouth.

 

“Hey Astrid! Hi Astrid! Hey!” _What a great start_ , Hiccup thought as he mentally face-palmed. “I - Okay, look. I know this isn’t the ideal situation and it’s been a long time since we talked but . . . I really did come to see you again. I finally got all the business finished with the dragons and my dad and let’s to forget my mom and it’s a really long story but I couldn’t come back before I finished all this and well - surprise! Apparently, I’m a King now! I know shocker but I tried to send a message, ask to see you, I really did - just things kept popping up and out of control with Viggo and Drago and as soon as I got free time I came here! And -”

 

Lord, he knew he was rambling but he started and couldn’t stop. His face was red from embarrassment and he rubbed the back of his neck while Astrid stared in silence. _Would someone shut him up please?_

 

And suddenly, without any preamble, he was shut up by a furious object in his vision that slammed into him. _Astrid._   
  
She was . . . hugging him. Very tightly, Hiccup might add. His eyes widened from shock and he just stood there, very still.

 

_Idiot! Do something!_

 

His cheeks turned red and he was going to hug back when the whirl on his chest suddenly ran off.

 

Hiccup was left in the garden alone. His cheeks were red and there was a smile on his face as he wondered what just happened. Anyone who would have passed by might have thought the man crazy, frozen and staring into space.

 

* * *

 

 

Astrid ran, her cheeks red, quickly back to her room and slammed the door. The unsuspecting maids who happened to pass her on this route were in for a surprise as Astrid whirred passed them and hurried as quickly as she could with her dress.

 

_What was she thinking?_

 

She laid on the bed and sighed. The competition was tomorrow. What was she going to do?

 

* * *

 

 

_Hiccup ran into the city, the light of the fire reflecting in his eyes. Townspeople ran all around, carrying water buckets and holding weapons. Dragons raced overhead, creating chaos everywhere they went._

 

_He whipped around, trying to spot a certain blonde-haired girl._

 

_"Astrid!? Where are you?!" Hiccup shouted out into the square, dread creeping up on him. He turned around and spotted her holding an ax in front of a dragon, about to swipe._

 

_Hiccup's eyes widened. He hesitated, then ran full on as Astrid raised the ax. 5 seconds later, Astrid was on the ground, Hiccup was between her and the dragon, and the ax was in his hands._

 

_**"What are you doing?"** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next stop: The competition for Astrid's hand in marriage! 
> 
> (I have 4 possible endings for this competition planned which will all lead in different directions.)
> 
> 2 more chapters to go! (Well, give or take 2 chapters.)


End file.
